People Like That

e the suite occupied by Mrs. Gibbons. My survey was quick and cautious, but not too much so for mental noting of the conservation of time and

in which a good fire was burning, and from the blue-and-white saucepan on the top came forth odor of a soup with which I was not familiar. The door of the oven was partly open, and in the latter could be seen a

take it. The other one she pushed toward Bettina with her foot. On the bed was a little girl of six or seven, and as we took our seats a boy, who barely looked ten, came from behind a

uld think you didn't have no manners!

no attention to his mother's reference to a delayed meal, he ladled out of the big saucepan, with a cracked cup, a plate of the steaming soup, and carried it carefully to an oilcloth-covered table, on which was

ll after ten." Again his gay little smile lighted his thin

little movement, and bravely she took one, bravely made effort to eat it.

chair as far as possible from the red-hot stove and opened my

with an interval of an hour for lunch, was unaccountably disappearing. With helplessness and incapacity I was not o

the bed, back in it, and shifted the whimpering baby from one arm

y then if their mother is a widow and 'ain't got nothing and nobody to do for her. I don't like to tell a story if I can help it, and them what don't know nothing 'bout how things is can't

ill further from the stove. My question was

r arms on her lap and shook her knees in mechanical effort to still its cries, "this baby was born while its father was being buried, and when I took in my man was gone and wouldn't never come home no more, never giv

pless, incapable, worn-out woman who was Jimmy's mother. Against something else, something I could not place or define or call b

ng a job 'count of n

e of his trousers. "The first place mother and me went to, they wouldn't take me 'cause the table where I'd had to work struck me right here." H

I asked, and again my

ox-factory

in spoon for its last bit of sugar. "We are pasters, our gang is. We paste the paper on the boxes. There's a boy sits ne

or complaint. "Jimmy always would play some from the time he was born. His boss says he's the b

illy-nourished, and to let him work ten hours a day seemed a crime for which I, and all

er and his lower garments. "She's a regular old tale-teller, but soon as she's out the room we get down from our bench and rush around and tag each other. Our benches 'ain't got no backs

the room?" My voice was unbelieving, an

get so sick from the heat and the glue smell they heave up their breakfast and can't eat nothing all day. I 'ain't fainted but twice since I b

bout the wood, and the papers will be ready 'fore I can get there if I don't hurry. Good-by to you all," and, slamming the door behind him, he r

hat time of the day, his presence being due not to trifling on his part, but to the half-time the factory was running, she gave herself up to t

ay nursery they would be well looked after, and you would

you ever worked in one. There ain't none of 'em good. Some's better than others, but when you get up at five

self from taking part in the conversation, leaned forward and dug h

dy what rents the room between the kitchen and the front room from me. She sews on carpets and the place she works at is right far from here. She warn't well last winter-so

, was making ready to slip off the bed and on the floor, but as she swung her again in place

take her little girl to the nursery before she goes to her place, and they ain't noways close together. The stars are shining when she goes out and they're shining when she comes in;

re, too?" she asked. Her eyes were on Mrs. Gibbons. Caref

immy has to bring it up from the yard in buckets, and as the nurse-lady who comes down here says we must have fresh air in the room, being 'tis al

s?" Again Bettina's forefinger pointed. "That would keep the

her little daughter, but this time the child wriggled down from the foot of

cha n

her preliminaries she came close to me and

and, catching the little girl by the hand, she drew her from me and dangled in front of her a o

of course we won't tell anybody about Jimmy not being twelve yet; but Miss Heath wants h

behind Mrs. Gibbons, beckoned to me mysteriously, and, fearing the latter might be

e's no chance for Jimmy if he doesn't have so

nothing to do there. I don't know how to do nothing but pickles. Sometimes I gets a little sewing at home, but I ain't a sewer. The Charities sends me a basket of keep-

id would you let him

nt him to work, but them that don't know how it is can't understand. You-all must com

m-kitchen, Bettina and I walked for a few moments in silence, and then

re, and you'll have to be careful about taking the children on your lap and in your arms, if they're babies. You love children, and you jus

et some little distance from us. Then she looked up at me. The man was Selwyn. The girl with him was the odd a